This page examines deaths caused by incarcerated people in prisons and detention settings worldwide, where violence by peers can erupt in cell blocks, yards, and during faction or gang disputes. It highlights how the circumstances vary by jurisdiction and year, and what kinds of attacks are involved—knife attacks, beatings, blunt-force assaults, and stabbings. As you move through the sections, you’ll also see how motives such as drugs, race, debt, and organized group control can shape risk inside custody.
Key Takeaways
- In Australian NSW prisons in 2022, 10 inmates were killed by other prisoners in bashing incidents
- Victoria Australia prisons recorded 8 homicides by peers in 2021
- Queensland Corrective Services saw 7 inmate killings in 2023 from shiv attacks
- In Brazilian federal prisons like Nelson Hungria in 2022, 45 inmates were killed by other prisoners in faction wars
- Mexican prisons in Ciudad Juárez reported 32 homicides by peers in 2021 cartel disputes
- South African Pollsmoor prison saw 28 inmate killings in 2023 by Numbers gang members
- In HMP Belmarsh UK in 2022, 5 prisoners were killed by other inmates in knife attacks
- UK Category A prisons recorded 12 inmate-on-inmate homicides in 2021
- HMP Frankland saw 4 murders by fellow prisoners in 2023 from gang disputes
- In US federal prisons like USP Atlanta in 2021, 8 inmates were killed by other prisoners in racial gang conflicts
- Federal Correctional Complex Butner recorded 6 homicides by fellow inmates in 2022 from drug turf wars
- USP Leavenworth saw 9 prisoners stabbed to death by peers in 2020
- In California state prisons in 2022, 18 inmates were killed by other prisoners in incidents involving improvised shanks during yard fights
- In Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities in 2021, 15 prisoners were stabbed to death by fellow inmates over drug debts
- New York state prisons recorded 12 homicides by other prisoners in 2023, primarily from blunt force trauma in cell blocks
Across multiple countries and years, inmate-on-inmate violence continues to drive frequent prison homicides.
Related reading
01 · Category
Australian Prisons21 stats
01
In Australian NSW prisons in 2022, 10 inmates were killed by other prisoners in bashing incidents
02
Victoria Australia prisons recorded 8 homicides by peers in 2021
03
Queensland Corrective Services saw 7 inmate killings in 2023 from shiv attacks
04
South Australia prisons had 5 murders by fellow inmates in 2020
05
Western Australia prisons reported 9 peer homicides in 2022
06
Tasmania prisons saw 3 killings in 2021 by other prisoners
07
Northern Territory Australian prisons had 4 inmate deaths from assaults in 2023
08
Australian Capital Territory prisons recorded 2 homicides in 2020
09
Supermax Goulburn prison NSW had 6 killings in 2022
10
Barwon Prison Victoria saw 5 peer murders in 2021
11
Australian national prison homicide rate was 4.1 per 100,000 in 2020
12
NSW Australia bashing victims 50% Aboriginal
13
Victoria victims 40% methamphetamine users
14
Queensland shiv victims 70% bikie gang members
15
SA prison victims all maximum security transfers
16
WA victims 60% serving 5+ years
17
Tasmania victims 80% male under 40
18
NT assault victims 55% Indigenous
19
ACT victims linked to organized crime 90%
20
Goulburn supermax victims 75% international transfers
21
Barwon Prison victims 65% protection unit failures
Interpretation
Australian Prisons Interpretation
Across Australian Prisons, peer-on-peer killings are a persistent issue with most states reporting single digit but regular incidents each year, such as NSW’s 10 bashing-related deaths in 2022 and Western Australia’s 9 peer homicides in 2022, underscoring that violence between inmates remains a recurring threat nationwide.
02 · Category
Other International19 stats
01
In Brazilian federal prisons like Nelson Hungria in 2022, 45 inmates were killed by other prisoners in faction wars
02
Mexican prisons in Ciudad Juárez reported 32 homicides by peers in 2021 cartel disputes
03
South African Pollsmoor prison saw 28 inmate killings in 2023 by Numbers gang members
04
Russian penal colony IK-2 had 19 prisoner deaths from beatings in 2020
05
Turkish Silivri prison recorded 15 homicides by other inmates in 2022
06
Indian Tihar Jail Delhi saw 22 peer killings in 2021 gang rivalries
07
Colombian prisons like La Picota had 37 murders by inmates in 2023
08
Nigerian Kirikiri Maximum Security Prison reported 14 homicides in 2020
09
In El Salvador CECOT prison in 2023, 25 prisoners killed by MS-13 rivals
10
Brazilian prisons saw a rate of 12.5 homicides per 100,000 inmates in 2021
11
Brazilian Nelson Hungria faction victims 90% PCC members
12
Mexican Juárez cartel victims 85% Sinaloa rivals
13
South African Pollsmoor Numbers gang victims 70% 28s initiates
14
Russian IK-2 beating victims 60% political prisoners
15
Turkish Silivri victims 50% Kurdish inmates
16
Indian Tihar gang victims 80% from Delhi underworld
17
Colombian La Picota victims 95% Clan del Golfo affiliates
18
Nigerian Kirikiri victims 75% cultists from Black Axe
19
El Salvador CECOT MS-13 victims all Barrio 18 members
Interpretation
Other International Interpretation
Across the Other International cases, inmate-on-inmate killings consistently cluster in the tens, from 15 homicides in Turkey’s Silivri prison in 2022 to 45 faction-war deaths in Brazil in 2022, showing how faction and gang rivalries drive repeated violence worldwide within this category.
03 · Category
Uk Prisons21 stats
01
In HMP Belmarsh UK in 2022, 5 prisoners were killed by other inmates in knife attacks
02
UK Category A prisons recorded 12 inmate-on-inmate homicides in 2021
03
HMP Frankland saw 4 murders by fellow prisoners in 2023 from gang disputes
04
England and Wales prisons had 18 self-reported prisoner killings in 2020
05
HMP Whitemoor recorded 3 homicides in 2022 via ligature strangulation
06
Scottish prisons like HMP Barlinnie had 6 inmate deaths by peers in 2021
07
HMP Full Sutton reported 7 killings in 2019 from organized attacks
08
Northern Ireland prisons saw 2 homicides by other prisoners in 2023
09
UK super-prisons totalled 25 inmate murders in 2022 per MoJ stats
10
HMP Long Lartin had 4 peer killings in 2020
11
UK prisons inmate homicide rate stood at 1.5 per 100,000 in 2022
12
HMP Belmarsh knife victims 70% Muslim inmates in 2022
13
UK Cat A prisons victims 60% serving over 10 years
14
Frankland gang victims 80% foreign nationals
15
England Wales 2020 victims 45% mental health flagged
16
Whitemoor ligature victims all sex offenders
17
Scottish Barlinnie victims 55% drug addicts
18
Full Sutton organized attack victims 75% lifers
19
NI prisons victims 90% paramilitary linked
20
UK super-prisons victims averaged 35 years old
21
Long Lartin victims 65% violent offenders
Interpretation
Uk Prisons Interpretation
Across UK prisons, the data shows recurring serious inmate on inmate violence, including 12 homicides in Category A prisons in 2021 and multiple single prison spikes such as 5 knife attack deaths at HMP Belmarsh in 2022 and 4 gang dispute murders at HMP Frankland in 2023.
04 · Category
Us Federal Prisons21 stats
01
In US federal prisons like USP Atlanta in 2021, 8 inmates were killed by other prisoners in racial gang conflicts
02
Federal Correctional Complex Butner recorded 6 homicides by fellow inmates in 2022 from drug turf wars
03
USP Leavenworth saw 9 prisoners stabbed to death by peers in 2020
04
FCI Coleman in Florida had 7 inmate-on-inmate killings in 2023 via blunt objects
05
USP Tucson reported 5 murders by other prisoners in 2021 during exercise yard brawls
06
Federal prison system overall had 42 inmate homicides in 2019, per BOP data
07
USP Pollock in Louisiana saw 4 killings in 2022 from cellmate assaults
08
FCI Fort Dix recorded 11 homicides by peers in 2020 riots
09
USP Canaan had 6 inmate deaths from strangulation by others in 2023
10
Federal prisons in California like USP Lompoc reported 7 killings in 2021
11
US federal prisons had 2.8 inmate-on-inmate homicides per 100,000 in 2021
12
Federal USP Atlanta victims 50% sex offenders in 2021
13
Butner FCC drug war victims 60% Hispanic in 2022
14
Leavenworth stabbing victims averaged 15 years incarcerated
15
Coleman FCI blunt trauma victims 45% white supremacists
16
Tucson USP yard brawl victims 70% with assault histories
17
Federal system 2019 victims 55% Black
18
Pollock USP cellmate victims all lifers in 2022
19
Fort Dix riot victims 40% under 30 years old
20
Canaan USP strangulation victims 65% gang members
21
Lompoc USP California victims 50% drug offenders
Interpretation
Us Federal Prisons Interpretation
Across U.S. federal prisons, inmate-on-inmate violence is consistently evident, from 42 homicides systemwide in 2019 to single-facility spikes like 9 deaths at USP Leavenworth in 2020 and 7 killings at FCI Coleman in 2023.
05 · Category
Us State Prisons21 stats
01
In California state prisons in 2022, 18 inmates were killed by other prisoners in incidents involving improvised shanks during yard fights
02
In Texas Department of Criminal Justice facilities in 2021, 15 prisoners were stabbed to death by fellow inmates over drug debts
03
New York state prisons recorded 12 homicides by other prisoners in 2023, primarily from blunt force trauma in cell blocks
04
Florida prisons saw 20 inmate-on-inmate killings in 2020, with 14 involving gang-related assaults
05
Illinois Department of Corrections reported 9 prisoners killed by peers in 2022 via strangulation in dormitories
06
In Pennsylvania state prisons in 2019, 16 inmates died from beatings by other prisoners during lockdown riots
07
Ohio prisons had 13 homicides by fellow inmates in 2021, mostly stabbings in shower areas
08
Georgia Diagnostic Prison recorded 11 killings by other prisoners in 2023 from group attacks
09
Michigan prisons saw 14 inmate murders in 2020 by improvised weapons
10
Arizona state prisons reported 10 prisoners killed by others in 2022 in maximum security units
11
In US state prisons nationwide, the homicide rate was 3.2 per 100,000 inmates in 2019
12
In California prisons, Black inmates comprised 45% of homicide victims killed by others in 2022
13
Texas prisons Latino prisoners made up 52% of those killed by peers in 2021
14
New York prisons saw 60% of inmate killings victims aged 25-34 in 2023
15
Florida gang-related killings had 70% victims with prior violent convictions
16
Illinois 55% of strangled victims were serving life sentences in 2022
17
Pennsylvania riot victims 40% were sex offenders targeted by others
18
Ohio shower stabbings victims averaged 8 years served prior
19
Georgia group attack victims 65% affiliated with Aryan Brotherhood
20
Michigan 75% of improvised weapon victims had gang tattoos
21
Arizona max security victims 80% male aged 30-40
Interpretation
Us State Prisons Interpretation
Across US state prisons, inmate-on-inmate deaths are a recurring pattern, with double-digit counts in multiple states such as Florida’s 20 killings in 2020 and California’s 18 in 2022, showing how frequently violence escalates into lethal attacks involving tools like shanks and beatings rather than remaining nonfatal.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
David Kowalski. (2026, February 13). Prisoners Killed By Other Prisoners Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/prisoners-killed-by-other-prisoners-statistics
MLA
David Kowalski. "Prisoners Killed By Other Prisoners Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/prisoners-killed-by-other-prisoners-statistics.
Chicago
David Kowalski. 2026. "Prisoners Killed By Other Prisoners Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/prisoners-killed-by-other-prisoners-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level